The Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand government has moved to rename the state’s Raj Bhavans (Governor houses). Parliamentary Affairs Minister Radhakrishna Kishore introduced a proposal in the Assembly on Wednesday stating that the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi will henceforth be known as ‘Birsa Bhavan’.
The name honours tribal icon and revered freedom revolutionary Bhagwan Birsa Munda, he said.
Similarly, the Raj Bhavan in Dumka has been proposed to be renamed ‘Sido Kanhu Awas’, commemorating Santhal rebellion leaders Sido and Kanhu Murmu.
Kishore said in the House that Raj Bhavans are properties of the state government. Citing Article 154 of the Constitution, he said the executive authority of the state rests with the Governor, making the Governor’s office integral to the state.
Therefore, he asserted, the state government has full authority to decide the names of such properties.
The development comes days after the Central government, on December 3, directed that all Raj Bhavans across the country be renamed Lok Bhavan, a decision Jharkhand had initially implemented. However, the state has now presented its own alternative proposal.
The Ranchi Raj Bhavan complex spans 52 acres, with an additional 10 acres occupied by the Governor’s House.
Its foundation was laid in 1930, and the building was completed in March 1931 at a cost of just ₹7 lakh.
Also read: Union Minister inaugurates Birsa Munda museum in Ranchi
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